Convicted former SRTA head John George indicted on obstruction charge in embezzlement case

Thursday

Apr 13, 2017 at 11:50 PMApr 13, 2017 at 11:56 PM

Wesley SykesThe Standard-Times

BOSTON — Already in prison, John George Jr., a former state representative and Dartmouth Select Board member, was indicted Thursday on one count of obstruction of justice in connection with concealing roughly $2.5 million in cash from the U.S. District Court in 2015, according to U.S. Attorney William Weinreb.

George, 70, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $688,772 and forfeiture of $1.38 million for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA), according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

George, however, reported to the court that he only possessed about $28,000 in cash, Weinrab said.

In late 2015 and early 2016, the U.S. Attorney's Office recovered more than $2.5 million in cash, as well as Rolex watches and jewelry that authorities said George had concealed in safe deposit boxes in New Bedford and Fairhaven, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

He faces a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Weinrab, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Todd A. Damiani, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Joel P. Garland and U.S. Marshal John Gibbons for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Doreen Rachal and U.S. Marshals Service's Asset Forfeiture Unit handled the criminal forfeiture. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Ryan M. DiSantis are prosecuting the criminal case.

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